Mike Ahearn and Brendan Strobel scored two goals each to lead No. 5 Trumbull to a 5-3 win over No. 7 Branford to win its first Division II championship at Ingalls Rink.

"Yeah, this was like that first game, but we've been a strong third-period team all season," said Strobel, whose second goal gave the Eagles (17-9) a 4-3 lead. "Branford was playing great defense the first two periods, especially their goalie (Alessandro Sarno).

"Our goal was to score quick in the third period. Mike (Ahearn) did that and he got us going."

Branford, which only loses two seniors to graduation next season, ends this season at 16-10.

"We knew we'd have our hands full with Trumbull," Branford coach Adolph Brink said. "Ahearn scored their first goal on an early power-play goal in the third period and that cranked up their jets. When he gets going the team feeds off him.

"We had our chances, but just getting here was a great accomplishment for our kids. This was similar to the Dec. 31 game only because they came back and won. But this was a much better-played game by both teams this time around."

Branford dominated early in the first period and outshot Trumbull 13-11. The Hornets took the first four shots of the first period and the fifth one would pay off. Branford's Tyler Criscuolo wristed a shot into the lower left corner for a 1-0 Branford lead at 3:06 of the first period.

Trumbull had its opportunities in the second period to tie the game. But it would be the Hornets who would score the only goal of the period to pad their lead at 2-0.

Branford's Tyler Hackett worked his way down the left wing and fired a shot that caught the inside of the left post for a 2-0 Branford lead at 8:25 of the second period.

The third period ended up being all Trumbull.

Ahearn started the comeback with a power-play goal at 1:05 to cut the Branford lead to 2-1. Strobel tied it at 2 at 6:39 and Tim Riley gave the Eagles their first lead at 3-2 at 10:40.

The Hornets responded when Hackett scored a power-play goal to tie it at 3 at 12:21.

But Strobel led a 2-on-2 breakaway down the left wing and scored in front of the right post to make it 4-3 Trumbull with 1:35 left in the game. Ahearn would score an empty-net goal with 31 seconds to go for the 5-3 final.

"Going into the third period, I wasn't in too much of a panic because we've come back before," Trumbull coach Greg Maxey said. "We just needed to get that first goal to get us going and we needed it early in the period to give us time to come back.

"To finally get the school their first state championship is a great feeling."